One type of electrical connector comprises a housing, usually fabricated from a polymeric material or other such insulator, which is structured to retain one or more electrically conductive terminal members as well as a wire or other such electrical conductor which is connected to the terminal. Such connectors are employed as plugs, sockets or the like and have very widespread use. In the course of assembling a connector of this type electrical leads or wires are connected to the terminals, either before the terminals are inserted into the housing or after, and the housing then closed about the conductor and terminal to retain the connection therein. Assembly of connectors of this type can be very labor intensive and/or may require the use of complex fixturing hardware or the like. The problems associated with the assembly of such connectors are exacerbated when the connectors are small in size.
There is thus a need for a connector housing which minimizes the labor and/or hardware associated with the assembly of connectors therefrom. Also, the housing should include a minimal number of parts, and in an ideal situation the housing is unitary.
A number of connector housings are known in the prior art, and two versions are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,017,141 and 4,789,348, both of which disclose unitary connector housings. However, nowhere in the prior art is there shown any connector housing having the features and advantages of the present invention. As will be described hereinbelow, the present invention is directed to a connector housing which is configured to securely retain one or more electrical terminals therein, in a preconnection mode wherein the terminals are rigidly supported, but accessible for affixation of electrical leads thereto. After connection is established, the housing is closed into an assembled mode wherein the connections are enclosed and stably retained. The connector housings of the present invention are preferably one or two part devices and may be manufactured in a variety of configurations to accommodate male as well as female terminals. These and other advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the drawings, discussion and description which follow.